Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Merry Christmas Manga Shopping List

The Manga Christmas
Shopping List 2011

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It's the holiday season, and no matter what the
reason for celebration, gifts generally make an appearance in some form or
another. It's been a great few years for manga, so here's a few
suggestions for the manga and anime lovers on your list, or simply anyone who
enjoys a good story.

For Shonen Fans:

These are often the type who, and any age, still
get up early on Saturday mornings to watch their Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and
Naruto. They probably enjoy other anime and manga as well, but they still
let their inner 7 year old out to play

The casual anime fan in the US might not even know that there is a whole serie before Gohan is even a twinkle in young Goku's eye. Here, we get to see the origins of our favorite characters, from Goku and Krillin to Turtle Elder and later, even Demon King Piccolo.

Before even Dragon Ball, Osamu Tezuka created a
series around Hyakkimaru and Dororo. Hyakkimaru's father made a deal with
the demon inhabiting a shrine, promising each demon a piece of his unborn
son. Now Hyakkimaru, abandoned by his father, travels the countryside
fighting these demons to win his body back, with a young pickpocket named
Dororo tagging along.

For Shojo Fans:

Mainly the
domain of the 8-16 year old girl, just like the Shonen manga it appeals to the
girl in women of any age. Not just
filled with magical girls in sailor suits anymore, it spans all sorts of eras
and topics.

Princess
Knight

Another
Tezuka classic, this is the manga that set the groundwork for the shojo
genre. Due to some…mischief up in
heaven, poor Sapphire is born with both a boy’s heart and a girl’s heart. And to make things worse, the poor girl has
to pretend to be a boy to inherit the kingdom and keep her evil uncle off the
throne. With an ensemble cast including
the angel-in-training that caused the problem in the first place, an evil witch
trying to steal her girl heart for her own daughter, and a Prince Charming from
the kingdom next door, this is an epic fairy tale for girls of any age.

Seinen/Josei

These are
the manga that you can give to someone who wouldn’t be amused by the
shonen/shojo offerings. Seinen manga,
targeting young men, and Josei manga, targeting young women, have been coming
to the US
in larger and larger numbers in recent years, and some are of outstanding
quality.

It sounds
like the premise of a terrible sitcom, but the reality couldn’t be further from
the truth. 30-year-old Daikichi, at his
grandfather’s funeral, is confronted with a bizarre truth: his grandfather has
a 6 year old lovechild, whose mother is nowhere to be found. When the family discusses giving Rin to a
children’s home, he impulsively declares that he will take Rin in. This slice-of-life drama revolves around
finding daycare, changing work schedules, and making it through flu season in
one piece. A very sweet, touching story.

It might
seem odd that a comic based on a kitten and her family would be found in a
seinen magazine, but Chi’s Sweet Home tempers its sweetness with a sense
of longing and nostalgia that appeals to both men and women who are growing up
and leaving old friends behind, as they are making new ones too.

The new
series by Emma: A Victorian Romance’s Kaoru Mori, this takes place not
in Victorian England but in 19th century Mongolia. The first volume focuses
on Amir, the bride of a boy five years her junior. While the series moves slowly, the
meticulously researched and detailed characters and art make this a fantastic
success.

So there
you have it. These books should just
about cover anyone on your shopping list.
But always remember, since geeks can sometimes have the most surprising
items already in their collection; tuck that gift receipt in the front
cover. Just in case.